Overhead-railroad construction.



P. 0. GUSTAFSON.

OVERHEAD RAILROAD CONSTRUCTION. APPLICATION FILED JULY 27, 1914.

Patented Oct. 6, 1914.

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P. O. GUSTAFSON.

OVERHEAD RAILROAD CONSTRUCTION.

APPLIGATION FILED JULY 27, 1914.

1,1 12,446. Patented 00a. 6, 1914.

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THE lVMRru-I r=lERS CO4, PHOTO-LITHO. WASHINGTON By C.

FRANK OSCAR GUSTAFSON, OF IBESSEMER TOWNSHIP, GOGEBIC COUNTY, MICHIGAN.

OVERHEAD-RAILROAD CONSTRUCTION.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented a. 6, 1914.

Application filed July 27, 1914. Serial No. 853,549.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK OSCAR GUSTAF- son, a citizen of the United States, residing in Bessemer township, Trenton Location, in the county'of Gogebic and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Overhead-Railroad Construction, of which the following is a spe cification.

The present invention relates to overhead railroad construction, which has a'single row of gauntree posts and the object is to provide such railroads of simple construc tion using up as little ground. space as possible.

The invention applies principally to coal and ore dumps, and from actual experience it has been proved that this construction lasts considerably longer than similar ones known to the present time. Usually the dumping platforms and the overhead railroads have to be rebuilt as soon as the coal and ore has been removed from the ground, but the life of the present construction is claimed to be 8 to 10 times longer than the old ones on account of its durability.

In the drawings, one embodiment of my invention has been illustrated, and, Figure 1 shows a transverse section of the device. Fig. 2 is a similar section in larger scale, of the track and the central portion of the construction. Fig. 3 shows a supporting trestle. Fig. i is a longitudinal central section along line 4% Fig. 6. Fig. 5 is a horizontal section along line 55 of Fig. 4, and, Fig. 6 is the top plan view of Fig. 2.

The gauntree posts which are plated at uniform distances to support the track and centrally therewith, each consists of a single post 10 at its upper end provided with a T-piece 11 sustained by struts 12 which are bolted to the post and secured. by means of strap bolts 35 to the T-picces 11. The longitudinal ties or girders extend from one of the gauntree posts to the next, and are held together by wooden bed pieces or joining members 13 which rest directly on the T- pieces 11. This consists of girders comprising a wooden or metal beam 14. reinforced by a tension member 19 preferably an inverted light rail with distance piece 21 in the middle. The ends of the tension member 19 are riveted to the connecting plate which is bolted in a suitable manner to the beam 14:. The ends of the girders are also bolted to the joining members 13. A floortree"'posts; each gauntree post comprising ing 15 is laid across the two ties or beams i l and on top of this and parallel to the beams 14: are placed the rails 16. and near the latter the guard rails 17. As seen in Figs. 1 and 2 the weight of a passing train will then be symmetrically distributed over the posts 10. In order to make a still firmer construction, I providesupporting trestles at suitable distance apart and connected with'the gauntree posts. Usually I do not provide these trestles for every post, but find them necessary where posts are strained to a great extent as for instance in curves and at the end of the line. These trestles have two slanting legs 23 connected by suitable cross beams 24: and 25 secured by strap-bolts. Anchor pieces 29 driven into the ground on the outer side of the trestle, are connected with the top cross-beams 24 by means of the suspension wires 28 with suitable tightening bolts in the anchor pieces 29.

On top of the T-pieces 11 are secured hinged plates 30 with eyelet-s to which guy ropes 26 are attached. The other ends of the guy ropes are provided with tensioning bolts 27 Which are run through and secured in the cross-beam 25 which preferably is situated on the outer side of the trestle. Therefrom the guy ropes 26 run, upwardly over the top cross-beam 24: and on to the hinged plate 30.

Although the figures show a wooden con struction I do not limit myself to that alone as the invention also relates to iron and steel construction built in a similar manner.

I claim 1. An overhead railroad having longitudinal ties resting on a plurality of gauntree posts; each longitudinal tie comprising a beam extending between two gauntree posts, a tension member suspended along the beam and connected thereto by a plate 'rivcted to each end of the tension member and secured by bolts to the beam, and a comtcnsion member situated at its middle; joining members connecting the ends of ing members connecting the ends of the two beams, said joining members resting di-' rectly on the T-pieces.

2. An overhead railroad having longitudinal ties resting on a plurality of gauna single upright post and a T-piece secured at the top of said single post, diagonal struts connecting the ends of the .T-pieces with the single post, said longitudinal ties resting on top of said T-pieces; each longituditree posts; a trestle on each side of said gauntree posts and at suitable distance therefrom, and anchorage members for each trestle, and tensioning members between said trestle and said anchorage members, and other tension members secured to said gauntree posts at one end and to the lower part of the trestle at the other end, said other tensioning members passing over the top of the trestle.

l. An. overhead railroad having longit'udinal ties resting on a plurality of gauntr'ee posts; each gauntree post comprising a single upright post and a T-piece secured at the top of said single post, diagonal struts connecting the ends of the T-picces with the single post, said longitudinal ties resting on top of said T-pieces; each longi- 30 tudinal tie comprising a beam extending between two gauntree posts, a tension bar suspended along the beam and connected thereto by a plate; a trestle on each side of said gauntree posts and at suitable distance 35 therefrom, and anchorage members for each trestle, and tensioning members between said trestle and said anchorage n'ieinber, and other tensioning members secured to said gauntree posts at one end and to the 10 FRANK OSCAR GUSTAFSON.

Witnesses HERMAN LARSON, OSCAR EMIL LINDSTROM.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Eatents,

v Washington, D. C. 

